Andy Crouch at Hutchmoot!

It brings me great pleasure to announce that the Hutchmoot keynote speaker this October will be the wonderful Andy Crouch. If, upon reading that name, you first thought of gospel singer Andrae Crouch, then it means we’re about the same age. But while this Andy is, in fact, an excellent musician, he probably won’t be doing any killer vocal runs.

Here’s what you probably know about Andy Crouch: he’s super-duper smart. He’s written quite a few books, and the thrust of his thinking and speaking has a lot to do with the Christian responsibility of “culture making,” which happens to be the title of one of his best-known works. That means Andy has spent some serious time studying the way art and faith and culture work together—and it also means he’s the perfect fit for Hutchmoot.

Here’s what you may not know about Andy. He’s a pianist. An excellent pianist, in fact, who sometimes uses music theory to teach theology. A couple of times when Andy and I have found ourselves at the same conference, I’ve roped him into playing a few songs with me (and he killed it). Not only that, I’m pretty sure he played on one of Andy Gullahorn’s records. (Goodness gracious, there are a lot of Andys around here.)

Being super-duper smart and good at piano is great and all, but those aren’t my favorite things about Andy. I can honestly say that after hearing Andy speak the first time he said some things that changed the way I live in demonstrable ways—and it wasn’t just what he said, it was how he said it. A few years ago in Colorado, as I listened to him talk about his book Strong and Weak, I found myself grinning and literally leaning into what he was saying. I perched on the edge of the pew, so completely engaged by Andy’s infectious, winsome demeanor that the big ideas he was talking about were in fact dwarfed by his joy. Andy doesn’t just love to think and create, he loves to help us to think and create. It’s as if his own excitement isn’t complete until we feel it too.

I can’t wait to see the smiles on all your faces as Andy teaches us. If you haven’t yet, go read Culture Making, Strong and Weak, and The Tech-Wise Family, and get ready for a delightful Hutchmoot.

Andrew Peterson is a singer-songwriter and author. Andrew has released more than ten records over the past twenty years, earning him a reputation for songs that connect with his listeners in ways equally powerful, poetic, and intimate. As an author, Andrew’s books include the four volumes of the award-winning Wingfeather Saga, released in collectible hardcover editions through Random House in 2020, and his creative memoir, Adorning the Dark, released in 2019 through B&H Publishing.